Visayan Business Post Issue 3 Aug. 2014

a FOREX: US$=P44.4 UKL=P74.9 HK$=P5.73 BRUNEI$=P35.5 EURO=P61.6 JAPAN Y=P0.44 AUST$=P41.1 BAHRAIN D=P117.76 SAUDI R=P11.84 UAE DIR=P12.09 SING$=P35.5 sayan ost Vi BusinessP August 2014 / Vol. I, No. 3 / 11 Sections / 8 Pages Visayan Business Post P15.00 Nationwide Local news for the global Visayan website visayanbizpost.com Ormoc fluvial parade amd procession 1B fruit trees for Visayas A billion fruit trees AgAinst storms. Plans for a billion fruit bearing trees to grow along coastal properties is an ambitious proposal sought to be funded as part of the rehabilitation of Eastern Visayas. The trees are expected to strengthen coastlines against ravaging storm surges. (Photo courtesy of OXFAM) Inside East Visayas economy to grow this year-NEDA/p2 Naval gives incentives to BHWs/p3 Is DSWD a better builder?/p3 The perils of fake chargers/p7 Local Industry, p5 Analysis The VBP News Team Tacloban City, Leyte If the historic proposed reforestation program is implemented properly, Eastern Visayas will become the top supplier of various tropical fruits in Asia, sustaining the region’s own needs and lowering the price of fruits in the country within a period of five years. If funded but not implemented appropriately, government will lose an enormous amount of resources and the confidence of its constituency in Samar and Leyte. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Eastern Visayas plans to plant a billion fruit trees in the region. This intention is carried in a proposal that DENR 1 billion fruit trees/p8 Tax employees urged to work harder The VBP News Team South Leyte MAASIN CITY –– Regional Director Diosdado Mendoza of the Bureau of Internal Revenue here have urged tax collection workers of the bureau’s Maasin City office to exert more effort to improve its collection even as he acknowledged Maasin City to be one of the big contributors to the region’s overall tax collections this year. Atty. Mendoza who graced the groundbreaking for a two storey P40 million BIR office building in Maasin prodded the employees to do more, saying that the region is still 30% short of its collection target of P6.1 billion this year. Revenue District Office No. 90 employees together with their officer in charge Susan Golo listened as director Mendoza explained the output performance system currently being followed by the bureau in retaining the services of its employees. “To stay in BIR, be performing, otherwise, out you go,” he said, citing that the bureau cannot afford under-performers. Mendoza also said that they are closely monitoring the enforcement of tax laws in the entire region, maintaining that it is still one of the key strategies of attaining tax collection targets. BIR Region 8 ranked 5th among the country’s top performing offices in 2012. The new 600 square meter BIR offices in Maasin will be constructed in a 1,400 square meter lot earlier donated by the city government in Barangay Combado. Southern Leyte Governor Roger Mercado, city Vice-Mayor Maria Tax employees urged/p2 Hilongos water project soon to be completed The VBP News Team Eastern Visayas HILONGOS –– The local government led by Mayor Albert Villahermosa is positive it will soon complete its Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig sa Lahat (Salintubig) project for Barangay Tuguipa where potable Hilongos water/p2 Success of Mahaplag Inland Resort silences critics VBP News Team, West Leyte MALINAO, Mahaplag –– Earlier critics of the local government unit operating a resort in Mahaplag has been silenced with the continuous increase of the resorts’ annual revenue. “It was kind of unexpected considering the prior doubt cast over the economic viability of the project three years ago”, said Natural Resource Management Specialist Mario S. Casas. Inland Resort management revealed to the Visayan Business Post News Team that the cool hideaway in this landlocked municipality has been drawing so many local and foreign tourists that they now have a constant shortage of rooms. Cabanas that should house families are also one of the present demands. “Plans for the resort’s building development will be an expected expansion move if we are to satisfy the resort’s growing clientele”, said Casas who also currently stands as resort manager. Mahaplag Inland Resort which now earns roughly P2 million to P3 million pesos in revenues annually, up from the anticipated P800 thousand yearly when the project was first funded by the Department of Finance, also helps the local economy by employing 21 locals. “The resort is self-sustaining and has given additional revenue for the municipality”, beamed Casas, referring to the P6.8 million revenue raised by the local government in 2013. “Contrary to earlier negative forecasts by some of its detractors, the resort is not and will never beMahaplag Inland/p5 Cool respite. Children frolic under a tree-shaded pool with crystal clear water in Mahaplag’s inland resort. (Photo by JnGrey)